Conventionally, a manually operated type IC card reader has been known, into and from which a contact type IC card is manually inserted and pulled out (see, for example, Patent Literature 1). As shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B, for example, a conventional manually operated type IC card reader includes: a plurality of IC contact springs 103 that are contacted with an external connection terminal 102a of an IC chip formed on an IC card 102 (hereinafter, referred to as a “card 102”); an IC contact block 104 that holds the IC contact springs 103; an arm 105 that movably holds the IC contact block 104; and a tension coil spring (not shown) that urges the IC contact block 104 toward a front side of the IC card reader.
The IC contact block 104 is formed with a card abutting part 104a with which a tip end 102b of the card 102 inserted through a card insertion port is abutted. In the IC card reader, when the tip end 102b of the card 102 inserted through the card insertion port is abutted with the card abutting part 104a and then the card 102 is further inserted, the IC contact block 104 approaches the card 102 while moving toward a rear side of the IC card reader, so that the IC contact springs 103 are contacted with the external connection terminal 102a at a predetermined contact pressure.
The IC card reader also includes: a card insertion detection mechanism 106 that detects that the card 102 has been inserted to a position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103; and a lock lever 107 that prevents pulling-out of the card 102 inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103. The lock lever 107 is formed with a pulling-out prevention part 107a that is formed in a flat face shape and is contactable with a rear end 102c of the card 102 inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103.
The card insertion detection mechanism 106 is structured of, for example, an optical sensor 108 that includes a light emitting element and a light receiving element disposed oppositely to each other, and a light intercepting part 104b that is formed on the IC contact block 104. When the card 102 is inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103, the light intercepting part 104b intercepts light traveling from the light emitting element to the light receiving element in the sensor 108. Further, the card insertion detection mechanism 106 detects that the card 102 has been inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103, based on the fact that the light intercepting part 104b intercepts the light traveling from the light emitting element to the light receiving element in the sensor 108.
In the IC card reader, when the card insertion detection mechanism 106 detects that the card 102 has been inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103, the lock lever 107 locks the card 102. Further, when the card insertion detection mechanism 106 detects that the card 102 has been inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103, the card 102 is activated in order to perform data communication between the IC card reader and the card 102.
Patent Literature 1: Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2008-203918
Typically, the sensor 108 has a detection region in a predetermined range. Therefore, in a case that the light intercepting part 104b of the IC contact block 104 is located inside the detection region of the sensor 108, the card insertion detection mechanism 106 detects that the card 102 has been inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103. In order that the lock lever 107 surely locks the inserted card 102 after the card insertion detection mechanism 106 has detected that the card 102 has been inserted, as shown in FIG. 8A, a distance L101 between the tip end 102b of the card 102 at the time when the tip end 102b of the card 102 has been inserted to a detection start position of the card insertion detection mechanism 106 (in other words, at the time when the card insertion detection mechanism 106 starts to detect that the card 102 has been inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103 (more specifically, at the time when the light intercepting part 104b starts to enter the detection region of the sensor 108)) and the pulling-out prevention part 107a of the lock lever 107 at the time when the lock lever 107 locks the card 102 is required to be longer than a length of the card 102.
According to this structure, however, in a case that data communication is performed between the IC card reader and the card 102 in the state in which the card 102 is locked by the lock lever 107, the rear end 102c of the card 102 may move to a position where the rear end 102c of the card 102 contacts with the pulling-out prevention part 107a for any reason as shown in FIG. 8B, for example. Ideally, the distance L101 and the length of the card 2 are set to be equal to each other. However, it is difficult to severely control the distance L101 and the length of the card 102 so that they become equal to each other, due to influences of tolerances of the sensor 108, installation errors, and the like.
Further, in the case that data communication is performed between the IC card reader and the card 102 in the state in which the card 102 is locked by the lock lever 107, for example, if the rear end 102c of the card 102 moves to the position where the rear end 102c of the card 102 contacts with the pulling-out prevention part 107a, as shown in FIG. 8B, the light intercepting part 104b deviates from the detection region of the sensor 108. As a result, the card insertion detection mechanism 106 may fail to detect that the card 102 has been inserted to the position where the external connection terminal 102a contacts with the IC contact springs 103. Further, the external connection terminal 102a may be separated from the IC contact springs 103. Therefore, if the distance L101 is longer than the length of the card 102, data communication between the IC card reader and the card 102 becomes unstable, which may result in occurrence of communication error.
In view of the problem described above, at least an embodiment of the present invention provides a manually operated type card reader capable of preventing forcible pulling-out of an IC card during data communication between the card reader and the IC card and capable of preventing occurrence of communication error in a state in which a lock member locks the IC card. Further, at least an embodiment of the present invention provides a method for controlling the card reader.
To achieve the above, at least an embodiment of the present invention provides a manually operated type card reader into and from which a contact type IC card is manually inserted and pulled out, the card reader including: a card passage where the IC card is passed; an IC contact block that includes a plurality of IC contact springs structured to contact with an external connection terminal of an IC chip formed on the IC card; a card insertion detection mechanism that detects that the IC card has been inserted to a contact position where the external connection terminal is contactable with the IC contact springs; a lock member that moves between a pulling-out prevention position where the IC card inserted to the contact position is prevented from being pulled out and a pulling-out feasible position where insertion and pulling-out of the IC card become feasible; a lock member drive mechanism that moves the lock member between the pulling-out prevention position and the pulling-out feasible position; a lock member detection mechanism that detects that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position; and a control unit that controls the card reader. An inserting direction-side end of the IC card is referred to as a front end, and a pulling-out direction-side end of the IC card is referred to as a rear end. The lock member is formed with a pulling-out prevention part with which the rear end of the IC card is contactable when the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position. A distance in a moving direction of the IC card between the front end of the IC card at the time when the card insertion detection mechanism starts to detect that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position and the pulling-out prevention part at the time when the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position is shorter than a length of the IC card in the moving direction of the IC card. The control unit detects that insertion of the IC card has been completed when the card insertion detection mechanism detects that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position and the lock member detection mechanism detects that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position.
According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, for example, when the control unit detects that the insertion of the IC card has been completed, then, the control unit transmits an insertion completion detection signal to a host control unit that is a control unit of a host apparatus on which the card reader is mounted, and activates the IC card, based on an activation command that is transmitted from the host control unit in order to activate the IC card.
In the card reader according to at least an embodiment of the present invention, the distance in the moving direction of the IC card between the front end of the IC card at the time when the card insertion detection mechanism starts to detect that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position and the pulling-out prevention part at the time when the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position is shorter than the length of the IC card in the moving direction of the IC card. According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, further, the control unit detects that insertion of the IC card has been completed when the card insertion detection mechanism detects that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position and the lock member detection mechanism detects that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position. According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, therefore, data communication between the card reader and the IC card is performed in such a manner that, for example, when the control unit detects that the insertion of the IC card has been completed, then, the control unit transmits the insertion completion detection signal to the host control unit and activates the IC card based on the activation command transmitted from the host control unit. The data communication between the card reader and the IC card can thus be performed in the state in which the lock member prevents pulling-out of the IC card. According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, accordingly, it is possible to prevent forcible pulling-out of the IC card during data communication between the card reader and the IC card and to prevent occurrence of communication error in the state in which the lock member locks the IC card.
According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, the card reader includes, for example, an insertion start detection mechanism that detects that the IC card has been inserted into an insertion port for the IC card. In this case, for example, the control unit transmits an insertion completion undetection signal to the host control unit when the card insertion detection mechanism does not detect that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position or when the lock member detection mechanism does not detect that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position, within a predetermined period of time after the insertion start detection mechanism has detected that the IC card has been inserted into the insertion port.
According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, when the card insertion detection mechanism detects that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position, the control unit causes the lock member drive mechanism to move the lock member located at the pulling-out feasible position, toward the pulling-out prevention position, and continues to actuate the lock member drive mechanism for a predetermined period of time until the lock member detection mechanism detects that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position, after the card insertion detection mechanism has detected that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position. According to this structure, even when the IC card is inserted to the contact position, but is not inserted to a position where the lock member becomes movable to the pulling-out prevention position, the card reader is not turned into an error state for at least a predetermined period of time. Accordingly, a user can have a grace period for inserting the IC card to the position where the lock member becomes movable to the pulling-out prevention position. Further, the user can insert the IC card to the position where the lock member becomes movable to the pulling-out prevention position, within the grace period. As a result, the control unit can detect that the insertion of the IC card has been completed, on the basis of the fact that the lock member detection mechanism has detected that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position.
According to at least an embodiment of the present invention, the card reader may be controlled by, for example, a method including: a card insertion wait command receiving step of receiving a card insertion wait command from a host control unit that is a control unit of a host apparatus on which the card reader is mounted; an insertion start determining step of, after reception of the card insertion wait command from the host control unit, determining within a predetermined first period of time whether the insertion start detection mechanism has detected that IC card has been inserted into the insertion port; a card insertion determining step of, when it is determined in the insertion start determining step that the IC card has been inserted into the insertion port, determining within a predetermined second period of time whether the card insertion detection mechanism has detected that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position; and a lock member position determining step of, when it is determined in the card insertion determining step that the IC card has been inserted to the contact position, determining within a predetermined third period of time whether the lock member detection mechanism has detected that the lock member is located at the pulling-out prevention position. In the method for controlling the card reader, for example, when it is determined in the insertion start determining step that the IC card is not inserted into the insertion port, an insertion start undetection signal is transmitted to the host control unit, and the card insertion wait command receiving step is carried out again, and when it is determined in the card insertion determining step that the IC card is not inserted to the contact position or it is determined in the lock member position determining step that the lock member is not located at the pulling-out prevention position, an insertion completion undetection signal is transmitted to the host control unit, and the card insertion wait command receiving step is carried out again.
As described above, in at least an embodiment of the present invention, it is possible to prevent forcible pulling-out of an IC card during data communication between a card reader and the IC card and to prevent occurrence of communication error in a state in which a lock member locks the IC card.